History
It was founded in 1870 by Richard Congreve and others as the Posivitivist School, a secular version of religion honouring human achievement with appropriate rituals (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
It was the first proper venue for the meetings of the London Positivist Society, founded by Congreve and others in 1867, and was turned by them into a Positivist ‘temple’ with appropriate fittings, along with a library and (from 1872 to 1877) a school (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
Other notable associates of Congreve in the venture were Edward Spencer Beesly, Principal of University Hall in Gordon Square and Professor of History at University College London, and Frederic Harrison, who also lectured at the nearby Working Men’s College in Great Ormond Street; it was also supported financially by George Eliot (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
In 1878 there was a schism between Congreve and most of his colleagues and congregation; when they broke away, he was left behind in Chapel Street to introduce more aspects of ritual and worship into the activities, eventually renaming it the Church of Humanity (Positivist School) and subsequently dropping the latter part of the name (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
Both factions flourished separately for a while, even opening branches elsewhere in the country, although the Chapel Street School went into a decline after the death of Richard Congreve in 1899, despite the efforts of his successor, the University College School-educated barrister Henry Crompton (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000; David Hayes, East of Bloomsbury, 1998)
In 1916 both factions were reunited at the Chapel Street premises, but the Church closed for good in about 1932 (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
It no longer exists
It bears no relation to the anti-mutant group of the same name in the Marvel comics, or to other 20th–21st century movements operating under the same name
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What was reforming about it?
It was a resolutely secular movement
It was opposed to the inclusion of Christian religious elements in the 1870 Education Act and founded a free school for local children and adults, with no religious elements
It also offered English lessons to refugees from the Paris commune (David Hayes, East of Bloomsbury, 1998)
Where in Bloomsbury
It was founded at 19 (now 20) Chapel Street in 1870 and continued there until about 1932, when it closed, shortly before the expiry of its lease (David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24, 2000)
Website of current institution
It no longer exists
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Books about it
David Hayes, ‘Holborn’s Church of Humanity, Its Roots and Offshoots,’ Camden History Review, vol. 24 (2000)
John E. McGee, A Crusade for Humanity: The History of Organized Positivism in England (1931)
Ian D. MacKillop, The British Ethical Societies (1986)
T. R. Wright, The Religion of Humanity: The Impact of Comtean Positivism on Victorian Britain (1986)
Archives
None found
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